Looking to buy my first 914. Would prefer purchasing a nicer example up front than a fixer-upper. I've found two cars for sale and wanted to get some opinions from the board regarding each. Which one would you buy, and why? What are the pro's and con's of each model?

First one is the Willow Green car that looks really nice:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=244550

Second one is this 1975:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=244674

TIA, Eric

I would buy the willow green one. I'm partial to the early cars. But the yellow car might be a better driver with a bigger engine and a/c. But I'm not a fan of yellow and the green car looks very original and nice. Best bet is to buy some plane tickets and drive both cars. Make it a fun trip. Both sellers are good guys with good reps.

BTW - I think you picked out the 2 nicest cars currently for sale for reasonable prices.

Thanks for your input. Other than color choice, is there another reason you would pick the 71 over the 75?

both are nice but i would go with the willow green one- and i like yellow, and you know that John Forbes will have that one well sorted out, but the green one just strikes me as more original and a bit cleaner. if you are serious buyer dont wait too long

I like the green one way better. Cleaner engine compartment. I am biased to green, too. The ducktaped box in the yellow one is off putting for the price and I would need eyes and hands on it to really see the quality of the car. It is hard to do a proper eval with only pics

Note: See how many people repilled to the green one, and how many of them are qualified restorers, like Rick

Eric,

You can't lose either way. You appear to have budgeted enough money for a price point that will land you a very nice car.

I personally like the early bumpers and love the unique Willow Green. You don't see that color everyday which at some point equates to higher value.

But I would advise acting fast. Good cars go quick.

How about drive-ability? Is the green one going to be significantly slower than the yellow? How about the suspension upgrades on the Yellow...is it going to handle significantly better?

Drive ability is key.

Go with 2.0. And side shift.

But both are good looking specimens of the 914.

i dont think you will see any difference in speed in daily driving conditions. Others will have more experience comparing the 2.0 to the 1.7 but from what i have read here from others, i gather it will not be significantly slower. You can always add stiffer springs and sway bars to improve cornering if you desired but probably not necessary. I think that the anti-sway bars do help a lot if you are driving spiritedly.
- a well sorted 1.7 with d-jet injection will give you the best gas milage of any 914

The green car is certainly striking to me, the early cars look very nice original. But, then again, the 75/75 bumpers don't bother me, and they can always be backdated. Both are very, very nice cars. I would ask - which will drive better? After all, that is what the car is for, right? Which will you be able to enjoy more frequently? Which will likely have fewer problems? My gut tells me the '75 would be the better driver. But, others can speak to that better than I.

Also, do either have prior accident damage, rusteration? I would look into each car's history. Just my 2 cents.

It is an interesting debate, though - early vs 75/76.

In contrast to almost everyone else I would buy the '75 and backdate the bumpers. The car looks to be really well maintained and though I love the color on the green car, and believe me either car appears to be an excellent choice, I would grab the yellow one. I would go see them both in person and crawl underneath both cars with a screwdriver and look for rust first though. Then I would have a sack of cash with me too.

how badly do you think you'll need the ac? the installs can vary from ok to crappy. upon removal the ac leaves behind LOTS of fixes.

If you're looking for originality I'd look @ the green. If you're looking for something to modify I'd consider the yellow. Either one is nice & I'd be tempted to get both

WTF is that??? We're gonna need MacGruber to get that outta there!

Both look very nice you just have to choose which style you like, late vs early. As an investment the Willow Green car is hands down the better one to buy but get the one you LIKE. The yellow car looks great from the pics but you'd want to take a very close look before spending $15k on it. Sounds like they have all the records and such.

BTW if the yellow car still has the later, more restrictive exhaust system the performance would be pretty much equal.

Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate the feedback. The yellow was officially a 1.8 but then built to 2.0 specs. What is unknown is the quality of the rebuild.

Yeah, what is that duct taped box on the yellow one?

If it were me, I would get the green one and remove the engine and transmission. Store those somewhere nice to keep all the original parts. Then, I would get a nice 2056 and side shift transmission installed and enjoy. Not too much more $$ and you get more grins without sacrificing originality as all mods are reversible.

I dont like the yellow one. A/C is a detractor, IMHO. Even dealer installed ones are hack jobs, usually. Also, it draws HP from the engine. I am also not a fan of 75-76 due to smog, bumpers, exhaust, cheaply made parts (plastic in places that used to be glass or metal).

Again, this is my opinion. Do what makes you happy

I'm fixing an A/C car now, pain in the arse.

That is an interesting idea. How much extra do you think the engine and trans would cost?

With regards to the green one, I do not believe this was a rust free car. I think repairs have been made and would have to verify how well they were completed.

I think you can get a 2056 long block from McMark for $5K. But then you'll still need cooling tins, fuel delivery, etc.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=42456

Then prob another $2K for a rebuilt trans and all the necessary equipment to convert the early car from tail shift to side shift.

For what it's worth, a 1.7 isn't a slug. If you've spent any time driving AC VW's, the 1.7 will eat them alive. But I can say having spent a year with a 1.7, my next 914 will be a 2.0.

But, the willow green car looks more like an investment car whereas the 75 I think would be more of a get in and drive car.

If it's John that did the engine rebuild on the 75 car (I didn't ask when I was there), you should have nothing to worry about with the engine. If it wasn't him, then I'd ask him for all the docs and info you can get.

Dude, talk to me. I highly doubt that $2k for a trans rebuild with core. I rarely hit that mark.

Actually, I have NEVER hit $2k in a stock rebuild. If you want fancy gears of billet parts, that is a whole other story.

I think the green one would be my choice, especially if you are located where passing smog is an issue. I like the green better than yellow for a colour but that is just personal choice. Good luck.

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

Wow, really? Damn. I was just guesstimating based on my experience with type 1 transaxles. I stand corrected!

Green one!

Another vote for the willow green car.
No offense to the yellow car, didnt even look at it. Didnt have to.
But if I were in the market, and had the scratch, that green car would be in my garage.